G7: Building back better will need a truly global approach to finance June 7, 2021 Over the weekend G7 finance ministers and financial leaders from across the world came together in London for arguably their most important meeting since the 2008 financial crisis. Top of their packed agenda was of course the recovery from COVID, against the backdrop of environmental issues and the challenges of reaching net zero emissions. Much [...]
Flood the streets with art: traffic-free weekends and an all-night celebration in the City for a cultural comeback May 24, 2021 The City’s reopening is building up to a crescendo with the return of visitors and audiences to some of the Square Mile’s iconic cultural institutions. One of the things that I – like many others – have missed the most during lockdown has been the opportunity to enjoy world-class art and culture in person rather [...]
The City skyline is changing and will earn its keep as a world-leader May 10, 2021 The Government will this week set out whether England can take the next step in its roadmap for easing lockdown restrictions as expected on 17 May. The data seems positive, so we hope to see more people returning to the Square Mile soon for work, hospitality, shopping and everything else on offer – other than, [...]
The Square Mile’s recovery will create an innovative, inclusive and sustainable business eco-system April 26, 2021 Walking around the City’s streets has been a joyous experience since many businesses started to reopen their doors and welcome back customers. It has been fantastic to see the vibrancy and the buzz, which the Square Mile is so well known for, gradually returning, taking us that bit closer to the more normal times that [...]
We must help the small businesses in the Square Mile get back on their feet April 12, 2021 From today, many businesses that are so essential to the energy and vibrancy of the Square Mile will be able to reopen their doors and welcome back customers. This is a much-needed return to a semblance of normality after a long and difficult winter. Large parts of the City have adapted remarkably well to working [...]
Corporate diversity: The City must keep working to enable fair access to everyone March 29, 2021 Last week, our nation came together to mark the anniversary of our first national lockdown. The National Day of Reflection was a time for all of us to reflect on the year that has passed and how dramatically our lives have changed. As we look ahead towards the coming months, many will be wondering what [...]
Air pollution is an invisible killer and a dangerous reality for Londoners March 15, 2021 While Covid-19 and Brexit have continued to dominate national headlines, there’s another another critical issue affecting the lives of every Londoner, which hasn’t been front and centre. Here in the City we’ve started three exciting schemes to help rid the capital of toxic air. In partnership with Camden Council, and funded by TfL through the [...]
City’s gargantuan tax receipts should never be taken for granted in Whitehall February 15, 2021 By any standards, 2020 was an unprecedented year for businesses and households alike. The uncertainty around our future relationship with the EU and the long shadow cast by the COVID-19 pandemic posed challenges not seen since the second world war. Even with the vaccine rollout well underway, the road to recovery remains uncertain with significant [...]
The City will be back – but in the meantime, it’s test, test, test February 1, 2021 The importance of redoubling our efforts to tackle the spread of this virus was underlined by the UK passing a tragic milestone of 100,000 deaths from COVID-19 last week. This is a trying time for us all but the quicker we can reduce the rate of infection, the quicker we can return to a semblance [...]
UK and the EU have much to gain from closer collaboration on financial services January 18, 2021 Now that the UK and European Union have started a new chapter, the next few months will be critical when it comes to writing the page on future collaboration in financial and professional services. The Trade and Cooperation Agreement finally brokered by UK and EU negotiators before Christmas provided businesses and households both at home and [...]
